Main Article Content
Abstract
The fulfillment of nutrition for children under the age of 5 years remains a global issue.
Indonesia ranks second in this matter, with more than 760,000 malnourished children. Several factors
influence the occurrence of malnutrition, including a history of low birth weight (LBW), a history of
infectious diseases, maternal education, and maternal employment. Unaddressed malnutrition leads to
an 11-fold higher risk of mortality. This study aims to identify the factors associated with the
occurrence of wasting in the working area of the Ambarawa Public Health Center.
The research type is quantitative with a case-control study design. The population in this
research consists of 1,235 children aged 3-5 years in the working area of the Ambarawa Public
Health Center, Pringsewu Regency. The sampling technique used is stratified random sampling. The sample size is 88, with 44 in the case group and 44 in the control group. The bivariate analysis used is
the gamma correlation test.
The results of this research indicate a correlation between a history of LBW, a history of
infectious diseases, maternal employment, and maternal education with the occurrence of wasting in
children in the working area of the Ambarawa Public Health Center, with p-values of <0.001, <0.000,
<0.000, and <0.000, respectively. It is expected that parents and the community do not regard wasting
as a normal occurrence and that healthcare workers pay attention to community resources, especially
mothers with young children, to focus more on their children's growth and development.
Keywords: Maternal Employment, Maternal Education, History of LBW, History of Infectious
Diseases, WastingÂ